Francis and Valerie Tetrault were married in Chatham, Ontario, in 1879. After losing three children to Diphtheria, they migrated to Frenchtown, near Missoula. In 1887 they moved to the Flathead with three children, where they homesteaded in the wooded land north of Kalispell on the old Whitefish Road. There they built a log house with a roof covered with slough grass and a dirt floor, and they began clearing the land for farming.

Every week, Mr. Tetrault walked the ten miles or so, to Demersville to work at Foys Mill, where he cut rough lumber shakes which he helped put on the roof of the Cliff house. Mrs Tetrault stayed home alone with here babies while Indians camped around them. Some years later Mrs Tetrault had the first appendicitis operation in the Flathead. Dr. Duncan and Dr. Lamb moved the kitchen table into the parlor and using chloroform, performed the emergency surgery.

Six more children were born to the Tetraults in the Flathead. Written by Jean OÇonnell, Hodgson Homecraft Homemakers in 1968

OBITUARYFrancis Tetrault was born on February 17, 1859, in Pain Cont, Ontario, Canada. On July 4, 1879, he was united in marriage to Valerie Frohan (sic) at Chatham. Fifty-eight years ago he moved to Frenchtown, Montana, and in 1887 he migrated to the Flathead where he made his home until his death January 13, 1944.He is survived by his wife, Valerie, four sons, Oscar, Eddie, Andrew and Henry and five daughters, Mrs. R. Houston of Belton, Mrs. C. L. O'Connell of Nirada, Mrs. Frank Motchika of Columbia Falls, Mrs. W. S. Brown of Tacoma and Mrs. F. L. Chenoweth of Chicago. All were present for the funeral with the exception of Andrew, who is now in Alaska. He is also survived by two granddaughters and six grandsons.

The Daily Inter LakeMonday, October 4, 1954page one

MRS. TETRAULT, PIONEER, DIESMrs. Valeria Tetrault, 93, resident of the Flathead Valley since 1887, died at Sisters of Mercy Hospital Saturday.Mrs. Tetrault was born April 2, 1861, in St. John, Que., Canada, to Julian and Eleanore Poutree Trahan. In July, 1878, she was married to Francis Tetrault in Chatham, Ont. They moved to Frenchtown in the then Montana territory and in 1887 came to the Flathead to make their home.She had lived here since. Mr. Tetrault died in Kalispell, Jan. 13, 1944.She is survived by four sons, Oscar, Eddie, and Henry, all of Kalispell, and Andrew in Alaska, and three daughters, Mrs. C. L. O'Connell and Mrs. Frank Motichka, both of Kalispell, and Mrs. William Brown of Tacoma, Wash. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and five great great grandchildren.The body is at the Johnson Chapel where the rosary will be recited tomorrow at 8 p.m. Requiem high mass will be celebrated in St. Matthew's Church Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the Very Rev. James J. Sheerin as celebrant. Burial will be in the family plot in Conrad Memorial cemetery.

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